


When Cheaters Prosper

by EdgeHedgeShads



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Advice, Bad Decisions, Bad Friends, Chaptered, Cheating, Emotional Infidelity, Emotional Sex, F/M, Forced Relationship, Gheytorade, I'm Bad At Tagging, Long Shot, M/M, Mobius (Sonic the Hedgehog), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Sonic Forces, Rape/Non-con Elements, Some Plot, Tags Are Hard, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-24 18:00:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdgeHedgeShads/pseuds/EdgeHedgeShads
Summary: After Heat gets the better of their birth control, Sonic finds himself suddenly engaged to Amy, while everyone around him seems overjoyed he can't help but feel suffocated, but who can give him the solace he needs, and what if it goes too far?Long chapters. Two- or Three-Shot. Brief mention of unintentional Non-Con.
Relationships: Amy Rose & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 27
Kudos: 63





	1. Heartbroken Desire

**Author's Note:**

> Whoops, it's another oneshot sort of. Do pay attention to the tags, to be safe. This story is explicit in every chapter, and an emotional rollercoaster, and touches on cheating and unhappy relationships.
> 
> Read with caution.

In truth, Sonic hasn't ever been happy with peace.

In peace, he's become a public figure in the city of New Metropolis along with Amy, his now official girlfriend. Endless days booked for banquets, public appearances and award ceremonies, every hour of his life regimented in her diary without his prior approval, instead decided by Mrs Rose Hedgehog and Queen Sally.

Runs are a rare occurrence now and Gaia forbid if one were ever spontaneous. He hasn't even visited Cream in almost a year, his last two visits cancelled for networking opportunities at the last minute, his schedule so unreliable Vanilla no longer bothers to enquire about gaps for playdates.

He craves excitement and adrenaline, the wind in his quills and rain soaked pelt; stimulation, sensation and discovery, not speeches and marriage.

Tails moved out the summer before, and with no excuse left to keep her at arm's length Amy moved right in, the turning point to an "official relationship". Friends and strangers sent congratulatory cards, the media began to ask when he'd drop the question, and all of a sudden every facet of his life shifted to Amy's control; there's a schedule, expectations, dinners and events and  _ pants _ , which are all things he doesn't appreciate.

Yet he's expected to make an appearance, no longer the face of Resistance but tranquility that, ironically, fosters the exact opposite sentiments in the azure hedgehog, though not a single friend empathised with his situation.

"Grow up, for Chaos sake," Knuckles had exclaimed, the albino bat lounging across his lap with her head beneath his jaw focused on an e-reader. "Eggman's been quiet for almost eighteen months, and GUN have him under surveillance. Don't you think it's time to drop the hero schtick and do something constructive, like getting a real job, and a home? Have a  _ family _ ?"

Rouge hadn't even looked up. "He's right, Big Blue. Not all of us are immortal, Ultimate Moods with infinite time to make big decisions. And we know who'd gladly shack up with you and given the chance to try family life."

He didn't tell them she's already moved in, cleared a shelf in his dresser and planted her toothbrush slightly too close to his own. Instead, the hero had shrugged and left them to a comfortable, sunny afternoon using each other as furniture, deciding not to dwell on how weird it made him feel as he'd made a beeline for the last friend he had to ask; his little brother, Tails.

The kit had moved in with Vanilla and Cream, mostly to get their electricity running and hook up the new water system, but everyone knew he was crushing hard on the rabbit just a year his junior. Her mother seemed content to have Tails in her home and keep an eye on the kids, to guide them through adolescence rather than risk teens without supervision, and Sonic had to agree with her.

Except she agreed with the furniture he'd left on Angel Island, as did the vulpine and his not-girlfriend.

"Times have changed, Dear. Peace has come, and with it stability. Do you not feel you have earned the reprieve?" A kind way of telling him to slow down, but Vanilla had never been confrontational. He muttered a response, scuffed his feet a little and gone in search of his adopted brother instead, hoping for a little sibling solidarity.

Instead, Tails had frowned at him, brows furrowed deep enough to cause wrinkles if he did so to often. "She's been chasing you for over a decade, Sonic. If you didn't like her, you should've told her a long time ago. Either talk to about it or go with it, its that simple."

"Plus, Miss Rose is really nice," the young rabbit added as Tails went back to his work, a screwdriver balanced in the crook of an ear. "And she loves children! She would be a lovely Mother, like mine has been!"

Not adept at delicate conversations - and nervous after Tails' suggestion he'd unwittingly strung her along - he chickens out and goes along with the arrangement. Her company is pleasant, the food divine, and beyond the odd date or present she's easy to please, never pushing for more than he's willing to give and always grateful for what she's afforded, the perfect housemate.

He doesn't really think about the Heat until it's arrived, and evidently Amy considers their proximity not to be a problem since they're 'official'. Hormones crash down on the young couple immediately; within days they're in the throes of Reversal, and two weeks later she emerges from the bathroom, tears in her eyes and a positive test in hand, grinning like a banshee.

Everyone is thrilled, more congratulatory cards arrive, and Sally throws a party at the palace. With all but one guest - a certain ebony hedgehog Rouge swears 'is too busy' - in attendance, the Queen of New Metropolis gifts the Hero of Mobius, her oldest friend, her late mother's engagement ring. 

Torn between the rising feelings of being trapped and the need to do what is best for the people, he hesitates before pivotings to the pregnant female. 

Falling to a knee as people on television do, he asks for her hand in marriage publically, overwhelmed by the sudden quiet of an entire city watching in awe as the dreams for their heroes play out before their eyes. If anyone had cared to notice, they'd notice the edges of his smile falter and irises constricted with trepidation as every inch of his soul screams against the spontaneous, life-changing decision forced upon him.

But this is what New Metropolis needs, to see the faces of the Phantom War living real lives, getting past their trauma and scraping together a happy life. He does it for those people, even as Amy accepts, as he slips the ring on her finger and she cries, after she runs off to show off her undoubtedly expensive ring to friends and leaves him stood frozen in time and space, chest tight with an unyielding sense of dread.

Sonic remains frozen in place as people pat him on the back and offer their congratulations, senses becoming encased in an invisible bubble that muffles the outside world. Touch, sound, and sensation all dissociate slightly as the reality of his situation comes rushing into clarity.

_ I don't love Amy Rose. _

Regardless, they're married two weeks later, before her baby bump gets too prominent. It's supposed to be the happiest day of his life, yet regret distracts the azure's mind and marrs the experience, the entire affair a flurry of anxiety and nausea for the life he's being locked into. An unwanted child. An insincere marriage. The constant fog of his own potential stifled by family life forced upon him by the peers he once respected and trusted.

Those first months as a married couple are difficult; Amy struggles with morning sickness for most of her early gestation, leaving her mildly malnourished and irritable. Plagued by anxiety, sleep deprivation and a generalised sense of unease he becomes restless, short with even his close friends, and begins to withdraw from intimacy, wishing to entertain only his own company.

Keeping face for journalists asking after the pregnancy, almost all of their frustrations are aired behind closed doors, and he sleeps on the sofa five times the first month. He eats very little either, watches television into the early hours to go to bed when she's fallen asleep only to stare at the ceiling, exhausted resignation to being neither relaxed nor revitalised when the sun rises.

When he does pass out from exhaustion, he wakes an hour or two later from disturbing dreams and night terrors with no chance of getting back to sleep, so he reverts to what he's good at: Sonic runs.

For hours.

Until his legs ache and lungs burn, and the sun peeks over the horizon. Until birds sing and the air warms to summer heat. Every moment without commitment for two months is spent exploring nature trails and skimming through parks, staying out as long as possible before always returning to the same bench to catch his breath, stalling further before going home.

Until one day he spots a familiar face, the sullen ebony hedgehog only acknowledging the azure's wave with a roll of crimson orbs before turning away, the flash of Chaos as he disappears near blinding in the low light. Sonic doesn't take it to heart; the ebon prefers his own company, though the hero would appreciate his unbiased opinion on the current predicament.

Then again, Rouge has probably told him everything - baby, uncertainties, engagement - already, so Shadow likely formed his own opinions since. It's possible he doesn't want to get involved, but that seems unlikely; reserved but confident, Sonic doubts he'd miss an opportunity to make him squirm beneath harsh truths.

Yet to his unyielding surprise, Shadow comes back three of the four times Sonic returns to his bench, eventually taking a seat beside him and sitting in silence, ebon lids half-closed, staring at the night sky. He pays the ebon no mind beyond a glance, their silent ritual becoming oddly reassuring, the hybrid an immovable rock against the days flowing past.

Amy's ultrasound shows a single daughter, a healthy pup swelling her belly further by the day. She glows with happiness, and even though the cerulean knows he should be just as excited, he feels numb.

Whether in response to his own detachment or a focus on the pup inside her, Amy becomes self-sufficient with her medical care, rarely inviting him to appointments or checkups, once taking Mina Mongoose instead. 

Their relationship is crumbling around them, and Sonic hasn't the energy to revitalise a love he never truly felt until, at three months, it finally comes to a head. Amy's sleep patterns fluctuate wildly as her second gestation period begins. As quick as the morning sickness goes, insomnia plagues her nights, and she's suddenly awake to hear Sonic get to bed in the early hours, only to leave again a few hours later for a run.

He's evasive at first, not wanting to stress her out with his own anxieties, but as she begins to lecture the azure about being irresponsible he snaps; for the first time in his life Sonic shouts back at the female, undeterred by her sudden submissive body language.

Unable to rein in his anger any longer, instead he blurts out everything; how he feels trapped, so few emotions registering since she moved in, of the stress and depression mitigated by the life he never asked for but had thrust onto him, and how _ exhausting  _ simply  existing has become.

But she stares blankly without response, no empathy or understanding, and his own words already dried up, Sonic runs.

While he'll never admit it aloud, he arrives at Shadow's flat in a state of distress; tear streaks turn cerulean fur a deep, royal blue, the azure barely coherent as thoughts run riot and chest heaves for breath. It startles the ebon to see his rival in such a state and he freezes in the door frame, gloved hand still on the handle and mouth ajar.

Sonic waits for him to slam it in his face, leaving him to sob in the hallway. With nowhere else to turn he'll likely stay there, for even his brother would be appalled, sure to lecture on behaviour and chivalry, of honour and the sanctity of spoken word. 

He won't take being belittled by his ward in this current emotional state. Shadow is the only ear left with no bias, attached to a tendency for cynically dissecting what others offer with abrupt honesty, and  _ Chaos _ does he need that kind of objective opinion right now.

Seemingly sensing his vulnerability, the ebon steps aside silently, and minutes later he's hunched forward nursing a coffee in both palms. The obsidian sits in his armchair without a word and sips his own pungent brew slowly, a brow raised in wordless query to his azure counterpart; Sonic has never so much as visited, let alone turned up in need of assistance, and Shadow is obviously curious.

The air thickens between them, though Shadow doesn't seem affected by the stifling sensation, content to sip at a leisurely pace and lean into the backrest with crimson orbs sheathed below dark lids. At ease in his own home, the agent breathes deep and slow until, suffocated by the silence, Sonic shatters it.

Starting slowly, he monologues the past three months of Amy's pregnancy - how it was accidental, but his friends took to it with the same level of enthusiasm of the pink female. How he was never asked or consulted if this was right for them, if he was okay with it. How his concerns were disregarded as childishness by everyone he knew, even his brother, and how loveless the whole thing felt.

He'd intended to stop at the argument, but his lips keep moving, and sound continues to tumble out of his maw as tears well; how anxious, frustrated and _alone_ he feels. How their public is more important than happiness, to appease the masses; Robotnik has retired and the hero has a family, the dream of so many survivors.

The azure's voice catches in his throat as he describes feeling less than Mobian to his people. Hands shake, hot coffee overflowing the rim of the mug, and as the initial scalding spill soaks his glove Sonic jerks in surprise and pain, this second spill staining the carpet muddy brown between his feet.

Flustered, apologising profusely through tears, spilling even more as he drops down to mop the stain with an already soiled glove, he's near apologetic hysteria when a warm hand clasp firmly over his own. Sonic chokes on his own spit, blathered apology dying in his throat, wet emeralds finally able focus on intense crimsons so close to his own, their noses almost brush.

Sonic's breath catches in his throat as hot breath and intense gazes mingle, barely aware of the steady hands extracting the mug from his own before placing it on the side table. Breath hitches when stern crimsons roam to his soiled glove; Shadow eases the sodden material off with uncharacteristic gentility and studies the reddened flesh beneath azure pelt before unfiltered Chaos bathes his scalded skin with relaxing warmth.

As the sensation and burning pain fades, Sonic flexes his fingers experimentally, looking up with a thankful smile to the sullen hedgehog to pause once again. There's an unusual glint in the ebon's irises, a spark of life he hasn't seen in the ebon before, yet feels inexplicably drawn to. 

There's vitality in his rival's peculiarly intensite stare, an appreciation for life the cerulean can relate with, and it's intoxicating to see in another.

A warm sensation creeps through his muscles, a nervous shudder overtaking his lithe frame, mouth much too dry and thoughts in complete disarray. Nonsense comes out of his mouth instead of real words, flustered pink burns his cheeks, and Sonic tried to crack a joke to relieve the tension just as tan lips suddenly press to peach.

Emerald orbs widen while dark lids obscure crimsons as they flutter closed, inexperienced soft tans pressing to peach ones stilled by surprise. The ebon's flesh is warm to the touch, made bitter by the taste of black coffee on the tongue ghosting across his own, begging the azure to offer something Sonic can't quite yet decipher.

Coarse, dark fur tickles his nose, sending shivers down his spine Shadow appears to revel in; he smirks into the kiss and deepens their connection with a tilt of his head, blunt incisors dragging at a plump upper lip teasingly. A more obvious bid for entry to his rival's maw, Sonic's lips part in compliance, drawing a huff of satisfaction from his dark counterpart.

Moist tongue brushes sharp canines, tan lips engulfing the azure's gentle gasps, exploring this newfound cavern and relishing the sweet taste edged with dull bitterness, the remnants of milky coffee with copious added sugar. 

Sonic sighs softly as he drowns in euphoria he's never felt before-  _ Oh Gods, what am I doing?! _

Rapidly constricting emeralds spring open as he recoils, a sudden jolt away from the ebon, lips still parted as he gasps for breath. Fiery rubies open lazily with an arousal burning in his gaze, the azure's pelt flushing deeply as he draws a shaky breath. "Shads, I'm-"

"Discontented," his rival asserts, usually serious facade splintered by a slight displeased slant of lips. It stirs the emotional pit in the cerulean's gut into a sickly vortex, a surge of self-pity overflowing as the ebon continues. "Its obvious without your unintended explanation, Faker."

Sonic looks away, squeezing jade irises shut, surges of intense emotion threatening to strip what remains of his composure away. Unable to keep the vulnerability from his tone as repressed feelings run rampant, his lips press into a fine line as he squeezes his hands into fists. "My happiness… doesn't matter. Not right now."

He glances back Shadow, to the one Mobian he'd never imagine kissing in his lifetime, lost in those shimmering rubies a moment before reality slams into his gut. There isn't a choice to make for the azure; he has to do what's best for everyone, not just himself, and with a gruff sigh resentment infiltrates his tone. "The people need a role model, and I get to be their beacon of hope as the world recovers.  _ Lucky me _ ."

Shadow frowns, his tone sincere. "That isn't-"

"Just leave it, okay?" Blue quills sag, already weighted by the burden of their kiss, of the betrayal of Amy's trust he committed. Even if it were initiated by the ebon _ \-  _ even if anyone would believe such a thing - he doesn't feel like he deserves anyone's compassion in that moment, not even from the instigator. "I'm not in the mood to argue."

Accustomed to the azure's cocky defiance, the ebon is put off kilter by his defeatist manner. He looks down at his palms and studies the fabric of his gloves, thoughts a flicker in the mind before they're discarded. The azure's situation has brought his own needs to a boil, previously unacknowledged desire for the hero now so ferocious it takes little time to reach his own definitive conclusions.

Manoeuvring his frame over his rival with characteristic speed, determined rubies meet dilating emeralds as the air between them thickens, time passing at the crawl of chilled molasses. Breaths mingle weighed by the ebon's simple proximity, chests so close they brush with every breath. "Neither am I, Hedgehog."

Not allowing him time to respond, Shadow recaptures peach lip, this time chaste against the azure's soft skin, acutely aware of his rival's coiled muscle and tightened chest. He wants Sonic to want it, and remains prepared to back off at the slightest hint of dissent, ears pert and focus resolute even as dark eyelids flicker closed, tasting his younger counterpart once more.

To the obsidian's relief there is no refusal; seconds pass in uncertainty until the hero begins to unwind beneath his weight, a tentative return of the kiss. Overshadowing his apparent previous experience, it makes Sonic seem shy and demure, Shadow's unerring patience and soft murrs slowly reducing him to putty, ready to mold.

Shadow braces a palm on the sofa, fingers curling into the seat fabric beside the azure's head as his other hand skims through fur on his side and hip, drawing shivers from his lithe frame when they stroke the base of his tail before cupping a pert buttock, the heat emanating from cerulean pelt into his gloved palm strangely intoxicating.

A gentle tug is all that's needed to draw him closer, a silent gasp through peach lips when ebon and azure furs mesh at the groin, pressing heated bulges together with no reservation. Still entirely virtuous, Shadow shudders and grunts into his rival's maw, a raw pleasure spiking in his nethers before dissipating into his thighs as warmth.

Already coming undone, the hybrid lets his body act on instinct. Straddling his thighs to increase the friction he arches into the azure, dark hips effectively pinning Sonic to the carpet piles as their kiss gains intensity, pressing the younger's head back into the cushions, lusty moans and whispered gasps heating the air.

Hips grinding in a torturously divine rhythm erodes the cerulean's capacity to concentrate, all thoughts of his mate and their kit erased in desire and anticipation of release. Shaky breath passing his lips, Shadow's clumsy kisses almost laughable if they weren't so sincere, jade irises flutter open to finally regard the obsidian in their undignified tango as whimpers of bliss burn his throat.

_ This isn't right. I should- _

Crimsons crack open next, holding his gaze as hips rock and grind, the hybrid becoming experimental with angle and force. Whenever Sonic moans he repeats the action more firmly, derailing the hero's morals and the hybrid's thoughts, self-confidence becoming irrelevant as they're both brought to the verge of sexual ecstasy.

Inexperienced and in well over his head, Shadow if the first to reach climax, still half-sheathed when orgasmic contractions wrack his rod. He breaks the kiss and cries out, unexpectedly intense waves of bliss squeezing balls and pumping a load all over his rival's chest, his shaking thrusts gumming ebon and peach fur together with salty seed as the hybrid rides out his first ever orgasm.

Thick ropes of seed gumming undercoat and pelt, Sonic unconsciously picks up the ebon's forgotten rhythm of pelvic thrusts, milking the elder for all he's worth as well as driving himself to an imminent orgasm. Aroused by Shadow's vocality, smothered in his hot load as the ebon all but buckles in heavenly bliss above him, the azure's thick rod slips free of its sheath just in time for release.

Gloved claws grasp at the stoic hedgehog's shoulders, scrabbling for purchase as the strongest orgasm Sonic has ever felt crashes down on the cerulean, unfettered pleasure searing through his groin and dick as strings of cum spill over their stomach, adding to the ebon's mess.

Pent up from weeks of hormones but no drive to relieve his urges, his first two shots bypass their stomachs, and Shadow initially flinches when hit semen soaks the fur of his jaw and muzzle. The forceful release simmers as numerous, smaller shots add cream to the mess already present between them, Sonic whining in overstimulation as his own shivering hips finally still beneath ebon.

Once the surprise passes and bathed in the afterglow of release, Shadow groans with satisfaction and slowly licks the salty seed from his ebon fur. 

Sonic watches with glazed, half-lidded emeralds, chest heaving for breath, entranced by delicate licks carefully cleaning fur marred by his own ejaculate until Shadow finally surrenders to fatigue. With a grunt he leans over and lowers his head, resting temple to temple with the azure, both Mobians quiet except for heavy breaths and the occasional huff of content exhaustion.

Aftershocks shiver through their arms and legs, minds pleasantly fuzzy suspended in limbo, dicks lethargically softening sandwiched together in belly fur, a twitch or two adding to the residual pleasure they share. But time marches on; after wordless stares and nervous grimaces Sonic showers and leaves without ceremony, both of the hedgehogs overwhelmed by their unexpected contact.

Sonic doesn't have any words to give, the guilty burning beneath his pelt worsening pass, and the realisation he's cheated on his pregnant mate sinking in with sickening clarity.  _ I could have, should have, stopped. Why didn't I? _

No answer comes, and it only makes him nauseous with regret and yields a single desire.  _ I need to see Amy. _


	2. Diminished Responsibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic has to make some tough choices, but worries he can't please everyone, especially not an ex-girlfriend or his jilted wife.

_Please note that this chapter involves the physical and emotional description of questionable consent/ non-con elements._

_In addition, story tags still apply. Enjoy._

* * *

**PART 2**

**DIMINISHED RESPONSIBILITY**

Guilt isn't an emotion Sonic is used to; it burns his gullet and twists his gut, both a nausea swirling in his stomach and a heavy burden sticking feet to pavings outside the home he shares with his wife. Knowing he needs to admit the truth, anticipating the impending argument and imagining the hurt on Amy's features, he can't find the courage to step inside and face the consequences of his weak resolve.

Slowly, his sentiments have morphed into hatred for his own shortcomings, for as unhappy as he was there had always been time to discuss his concerns. Doing so with his friends may have been futile, but Amy was his mate, the compassionate half of their bonded whole.

If he can't talk to her about such things, are they truly a Mated Pair? Or just two kids playing house?

The air in his lungs stills as the door opens, revealing the fuschia within cast with shadows, though her distress is palpable; back in pyjamas uncharacteristically early, dull jades and bloodshot whites lined by damp fur, it's clear she's been crying. It breaks the hero's heart to see her as such, even more so when a hand strays to her bulged abdomen, his own guilt growing tenfold in a moment.

He plans to tell her everything, to admit to his lapse of judgement and beg her forgiveness, to finally apply all he has to this woman and their urchin. Even without the weight of expectations placed on his shoulders by the public and his friends Sonic  _ wants  _ to do the right thing, to love them both unconditionally, to support his family.

Then Amy throws herself at him, knocking the cerulean from idealism and back to reality with a jolt, chilling as her own tears rapidly soaking his chest, sapping his body heat. He doesn't want this; this emotional turmoil and unhealthy dependency, her unquestioning faith and a co-dependence Amny seems to crave, forgiving before she even knows what he's apologising for.

Still, he struggles to voice his sentiments as Amy puts words into his mouth with practiced ease, interrupting his assertions with her own 'certainties', not interested in what he did because he came back to her. Her joy is unaffected by his tone or sincerity, the fuschia adamant this time it'll work, leading him inside with promises of her own brand of reconciliation and a coy smile.

Despite the confidence in her tone she looks fragile, the smile of her lips wavering even as peach press to fawn, muzzle warm against the azure's own as short fur tickles his nose and skin. He doesn't remember being led to the bedroom, only the swell of breasts and a growing belly through thin fabric, the softness of lips, the whisper of breath mingling with his own between caresses.

The back of his calves hit the bed and suddenly he's sat, a bare pink hand splayed on his chest the likely culprit. A haze of arousal and hormones clouds his judgement and Sonic find it hard to focus; subtle pheromones still seep from his Life Mate's skin, his body aflame in response to nature attempting to force a life-bond only she desires, and its potent effects too much for him to break.

Fangs nibble his familiar sweet spots, almost habitual in the wake of a shared Heat, and a soft moan passes lips when Amy sucks on his neck, teasing the sensitive nerves below his muzzle with confidence. 

There's no learning or new discoveries, only a practiced pleasure as kisses snake over collarbones to peck along heaving ribs, her relaxed pace accentuating rising sexual tension in the male squirming under her attention; the azure arches up and hips quiver, skin aflame below even hotter lips pressing firmly against his pouch.

It's a satisfying reaction for the female, and she moans huskily. Sound alone drawing the head of his dick from its sheath, Amy wastes no time pleasuring the hardening organ with her tongue, swirling the strong muscle over the swelling rod before suckling his leaking head, further moans reverberating through his oversensitive cock.

Still much too delicate from earlier forays, Sonic whines and shivers as he's drawn into her moist maw, release so close already his balls contract with anticipation. It takes all of his self control not to grasp the pinkette's ears and thrust into the tight, wet cavern with an abandon more characteristic of a canid.

Skilled fingers fondle his sac, taking the time to massage each ball thoroughly as she kneels between his legs and nearly chokes herself on his rod with every bob of quills, taking his full length to the hilt grunting in discomfort. 

She knows he likes it, humming her approval as gloved fingers entwine with fuschia quills, letting him guide her deeper still with every bob, gagging on each thrust of his hips that meet her half way. The hero whimpers, trying to pull her back with his cock still pulsing in her mouth, the knot in his groin threatening to unravel in ecstasy.

"Aaaimes! Slow do- _ aah!  _ Slow d-down, I'm gonna-"

In abject disobedience she gulps his dick to the hilt and sucks hard, teeth skimming sensitive flesh as she draws him back out of her maw under intense pressure. She's too hot _ ,  _ too _ tight _ , and buttocks tensed tightly to bucking hips he explodes down her throat, the renewed stock of cum shot from his balls coating her mouth and flowing down her gullet.

The pain of overuse mingles with delightful spasms, his spent dick throbbing with each contraction as he groans through an excruciating orgasm, a whimpered gasp past gaping lips when he's released with a last, strong suckle. Breathless and satiated beyond necessity, Sonic simply lay there, basking in the warmth of another afterglow as it drowns the tightening ache in his nethers.

Amy rises and crawls over his torso, planting a firm kiss on peach lips, her own salted by seminal fluid. He kisses back lethargically, so sensitive he shudders as Amy's hips sway forward, pressing sodden panties to his tired dick with an amorous smile cracking her fawn muzzle.

"Someone's eager," she states in a sultry tone, her need expertly communicated by a moan when clitoris mashes into still-hard cock, silenced a few seconds as a shiver of bliss skitters through her frame. When she recovers, the fuschia presses her torso to his, breath hot on his throat, kisses peppering delicate flesh. 

"So why don't we start the main course?"

Except Sonic isn't eager; his length is on fire, the air chill compared to the inferno raging beneath his pelt, almost too much sensation to bear engaging his senses. Arousal drips from her pores and coats his own pelt, her scent as much his own after such intimate contact, pleasure and pain receptors overstimulated and mind a fog of fatigue, burning need and unyielding desire.

He feels no affection in the kisses slathering his neck, no love or care as she mounts his hips and drags the soaked fabric of her panties aside. Just like the Heat, pure need driven by hormones and pheromones in flux drive Amy to line his softening shaft with her pussy, the emanating heat painful against the depleted organ before he's even taken inside, dragging a high cry from peach lips.

Vaginal muscles squeeze his manhood tightly, devouring the delicate, oversensitive organ, burying it beneath the overwhelming heat of pregnant lust burning inside her needy walls. Kisses feel suffocating, the heavy fatigue in Sonic's limbs debilitating as he's pinned to the mattress beneath, powerless besides a voice frozen in his throat.

Either unempathetic or ignorant of his anguish she rides his cock enthusiastically, a hand splayed on his abdomen for balance as the other dances across her clit. Already a slave to her own desires, Amy rides her lover with little remorse or reservation as climax draws near, though the azure passes out from exhaustion before she reaches it.

Waking in the fuschia's embrace with aching nethers, a hollow sensation in his chest upon realising certain prior convictions were accurate, and unsure how to proceed with one fact noe confirmed above all others.

He doesn't romantically love Amy Rose in the slightest.

Not in the least beyond familial affection, he finds their intimate relations in the next six weeks sickening to endure, never once initiating an encounter. Every kiss of fawn lips sends a shudder through his body until her pheromones become overwhelming, and only then does he surrender to nature, to the relationship his biology craves over any conscious moral dilemma.

He always awakens nauseated, and scrubs at the fluids in his fur until his flesh is raw and painful, shower so hot it scalds fresh skin such cleaning reveals. Despite their urchin tightening her pants by the day, it all feels at odds with his sentiments in unhindered recollection. It's wrong, vulgar,  _ distasteful _ , and he vows to talk to her. 

He worries for her own well-being trapped in a loveless relationship, that the kit will grow up knowing her parents resent each other, and believing appearance is more important than personal fulfillment.

No, he doesn't love Amy Rose, but Shadow is right; he should be worth more than the city's expectations.

The cerulean tries to speak with her frequently, but she continually deflects his concerns, refocusing on facets of preparing for the baby instead of giving his truths the attention they deserve. Any determination to do right by his estranged wife and unborn daughter quickly slips into frustrated resentment, emotions that lead him back to his rival's apartment as the birth draws near.

No words are exchanged when Shadow opens the door, tan lips immediately captured by peach as azure pushes ebon back inside, closing the door behind them with a foot. He's desperate to feel  _ wanted _ rather than needed, to be desired and desire in return, and Shadow denies him neither as they stumble into the kitchen locked in a sudden yet fierce battle for dominance.

Gloved hands slip into brilliant blue quills as others graze dark hips, the hero's momentum driving him backwards until the ebon collides with the unyielding veneer of the breakfast bar. Shadow grunts with discomfort, the sound lost in the azure's maw, and refusing to be so easy to pin turns the momentum back on the instigator.

Rolling with the curve of the counter, he keeps it going until it's Sonic pressed against the chilling faux-wooden trim, and sacrifices his hold in those cerulean quills to plant a palm firmly in the way of continued movement. Its enough to keep his rival pulling the same stunt right back, and with a quick shift of weight Shadow has him pinned at the abdomen with his own body.

A delicious shiver of arousal through heated muscle as their groins grind together is an enjoyable side effect, one that draws a shuddering groan from tan lips. Sonic gasps into their kiss, muzzle dampened with the ebon's saliva, tongue still refusing to submit even as any further rolling is prevented, lithe azure frame stilled like prey.

Remembering how fast everything concluded last time, Shadow rolls his hips tantalizingly slow, entranced by the enduring pleasure simmering in his groin as a result. He relies entirely on instinct, their last encounter and a few solo sessions since still the entirety his experience, and the ebon has no desire to cease this newfound source of physical arousal.

An attempt at rolling the ebon again easily thwarted, the azure seems to finally realise he's lost his advantage and growls softly. The harsh sound is surprising enough itself from the hero, then a leg wraps over a dark hip, allowing his quarry to snap shaking hips up to meet his own with enough force to render Shadow momentarily senseless.

Unfortunately for Sonic, the move backfires; rather than destabilising the ebon's balance, he instead becomes a deadweight. Shadow breaks the kiss and buries his face in the azure's neck with a passionate cry, dropping onto the hero so heavily his breath evacuates his lungs with an audible  _ whoosh _ , leaving them both unable to move while some semblance of composure returns.

Sonic takes a moment to catch his breath, finally noting the burn of arousal warming his cheeks, and guilt rears its ugly head once more as calm brings with it an uneasy clarity. Even desperate for an emotional connection, and physical intimacy not orchestrated simply to satiate his wife's persistent needs, cheating on her is  _ wrong _ .

He shifts uncomfortably beneath the other, ignoring the sparks of pleasure any movement of the hips creates as his leaking tip peeks from its sheath. Until the ebon pulls back and catches his gaze; deep rubies aflame take jades hostage, a mix of emotions too complex to decipher in intense pools of crimson freezing his voice in his throat until tan lips brush his own, dragging him back to reality, and he whips his head to the side. "Stop. I… I can't."

With an irritated growl, Shadow takes hold of a peach jaw and twists his rival's muzzle back to face him, noses brushing as they pass. "It is you who desired this, was it not? I don't exist solely for your entertainment, Faker."

The snarl ringing his words is a harsh reminder of his weak resolve Sonic flinches away from, ears twisting flat to his skull and eyes squeezing shut as silence falls. The ebon seems to hesitate before releasing his grip, voice an unusually soft baritone. "Nor will I perpetuate these unhealthy relationships any longer. It's time to decide to whom you are most loyal, Hedgehog."

It's what he'd initially wanted from his rival. Objectivity; even with his own emotions already entwined with the situation, Shadow was always able to discern the roots of a conflict and draw them into focus, a trait GUN likely utilise frequently. His insight comes five months too late though, his own turmoil already upgraded from internal storm to full-blown hurricane, a choice he's being forced to make almost unimaginably difficult to consider.

_ Happiness, or integrity? _

Morality immediately chooses Amy; even if he hasn't led her on as his friends believe, if they aren't married and experiencing difficulties, she's carrying his kit. Whether or not the urchin was accidental is irrelevant, because it already exists by his actions, and he owes his unborn kit as much as he does the woman carrying them.

But he's unhappy, so unbearably emotionally desolate in their relationship he sought Shadow out when it dipped, and fell into his embrace given the chance. His presence desired rather than  _ needed _ , his pleasure as important to the one dominating the encounter as their own, the fire smoldering beneath every moan and whimper has Sonic melting like butter on a hot skillet. 

Shadow makes him happy, but is it genuine? 

Weeks have passed since they were intimate. They've not spoken until now, and there seems to be little affection but a mountain of kindling set ablaze, which makes the azure nervous for the future. Should it be reduced to ash before more enduring logs can be added, he could end up alone, a prospect that has recently left the azure in emotional limbo.

_ I don't want to be alone. Not anymore. Not since-  _ Breath catching in his throat, the realisation comes naturally to his fraught mind, the one he least expected with such a strong moral compass. _ Not since Shadow. _

Emerald irises refocus on crimsons, usually hard edges softened with uncertainty beneath a slight frown. Ebon remains silent even as eye contact is restored, still close physically but making no attempts to force a decision, patience enduring what must be a most difficult pause in their dialogue to withstand without making demands for clarity or resolution.

_ This is affection though, isn't it?  _ The penny drops loudly in Sonic's consciousness, and he raises a palm to cup his rival's cheek, muscles quivering with pleasant warmth when his hand is gently nuzzled.  _ It isn't only physical but emotional as well; understanding what a partner needs, and respect for their needs, regardless of your own. _

Without another thought, he recaptures tan lips with a gentle kiss, fingers slipping into headquills, drawing the ebon closer and murring contently into the other's maw as Shadow tilts his head to deepen their contact. He's delicious and intoxicating, quickly becoming the azure's entire world, filling his senses with musky odor and salty flesh until everything around them becomes null.

Relishing his newfound emotional freedom, he stays the night in Shadow's bed, mapping his lover's body with his eyes, his hands, and his tongue until they pass out in an exhausted euphoria, physically and emotionally spent.

Fully intending to speak with Amy this time, days slip by without so much as a word on the matter, but it isn't his fault entirely. Since his night away from the marital bed, Amy has been making herself scarce; for five days on the trot he didn't see her, only to finally touch base at a mall they were due to officially open, and afterwards she was gone before her name could leave his mouth.

No longer frustrated, he feels deeply rejected by the one who'd always been his advocate, and it stings more than Sonic wants to admit. So he buries himself in the affair, barely coming up for breath as the days pass, content to lose himself, emotionally and physically, in the one thing in his life currently keeping him sane.

Azure leads ebon at first, guiding the breathless Shadow through unfamiliar territory, exploring each other with a slower, more conscious regard for enjoyable experiences and rejected kinks. The hybrid is an attentive lover, quick to determine they both prefer to be in control, learning how to bring his new lover to contented submission and when to oblige his rival's desire for dominance.

It's a delicate balance, but they take it slow, affronts and misdemeanours communicated through warning growls or painful nips of sensitive flesh until they settle into a practiced rhythm; cues become unconscious to observe or express and by the fourth night of forays, their script lacks dialogue besides muttered groans and occasional grunts of pleasure as they pleasure one another.

Despite intimate physical contact and tender moments shared in the bosom of climactic afterglow, the reality of how deep Sonic has dug the adulterous hole becomes truly apparently on day five of their affair, when Shadow coyly offers his partner a pulsing tailhole. How his groin  _ burns _ for that tight passage, but he can't bring himself to accept just yet, a last branch of the road too much for his psyche to take without prior resolution.

_ I need to talk to Amy. We need to settle this. _

He isn't invited to the last scan six days before the due date but turns up anyway, spending most of the day in the waiting room sipping scalding hot coffee and reading three year old magazines.

She turns up at four in the afternoon, walking with the trademark waddle of a woman about to drop, Mina at her elbow carrying her bag. Immediately upon noticing them, he casts the magazine aside carelessly and stands with an itch in his heels, barely reigning in the need to barge Mina away and take her place as he waits for one of them to spot him.

Mina sees him first and scowls heavily, her grip on the fuschia's elbow tightening very slightly, getting Amy's attention from her swollen bump without words. Jades pass to her friend, then what she's staring at, and azure ears fold back when a glare forms on her own features.

She shoos Mina off on the pretence of getting drinks, a move all three of them know is for privacy despite the public setting, and the mongoose hesitates before dumping Amy's bag on an empty chair and stalking off towards the cafeteria. Sonic swallows and offers a weak smile, but his mate ignores him as she waddles across to the nearest chair and sits with a relieved puff of air.

A heavy silence falls as everyone present - strangers in the reception area included - watch the cerulean slowly take the seat beside her, the maternity bag forgotten as he tents and nervously plays with his fingers. His quills keep twitching anxiously, glancing up frequently in case Mina is returning until, unable to take the silence any longer, he inhales sharply. "Aimes, I just-"

"No." 

Words dying in his throat, he glances up, catching tired jades with his own glistening emeralds, and flinches at how cold her gaze feels. There's little emotion anywhere on her features, nor are there tears in her eyes, and any hope of an amicable severance of their failed marriage sinks directly into his shoes. "Is it a girl I know? "

_ Of course she knows _ . He'd stayed out all night, and the fuschia likely phoned everyone in their address book to try and find him, either through panic or some desire to catch him out, or control him. But the ebon agent isn't in anyone's phone book, and considering they're hardly on friendly terms to the outside world, to not think they were cheating was fair. _ Chaos, this is… awkward. _

"No," he offers truthfully, unsure how to broach more sensitive facets quite yet, staring down at his knees as clammy fingers grasp them nervously before be decides to be blunt and takes a nervous breath. "It's… you know them, yeah. But it's not… he's not... a she?"

" _ Oh _ ." 

She sounds genuinely surprised, a touch of sadness on her enunciation, a sideways glance revealing glazed eyes staring at the far wall. Her expression is flat and useless to him for discerning her thoughts, mouth a wonky line cutting through pale muzzle fur. "I-I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't even know until… it happened, after we wed. If I could change… I would for you, Aimes. I love you."

Amy barks a humourless laugh, a sound that cuts his heart in two, and azure quills flattens to his back when she turns with a look of pure contempt on her muzzle. " _ Love me!?  _ Really? Ask anyone who watched you shirk my affection for a decade and see if they think the same because I assure you, Sonic the Hedgehog, you have  _ never _ loved-"

A sob escapes her lips and she looks away, glove cuffs to leaking eyes as she composes herself with a sniffle. "It's my fault; I thought I could change you, make you see we were meant to be together, but I couldn't. I've known a long time, just assumed there was… someone else, but don't you  _ dare _ tell me you  _ love _ me. Not now, not ever. Don't lie and break my heart all over again."

Unable to swallow the lump in his throat, pale emeralds drift back to the hall. Mina trudges its length, a drink in each hand and deli bag cinched between teeth, her approach heralding a rapid climax to their conversation. There's still so much to say, to  _ clarify _ , but with another ex-girlfriend fast approaching he has no desire to keep discussing sentiments.

"I'll go," he says softly, drawing tear-filled jades back to his own as the lump gets thicker, threatening to strangle the words in his voice box until he forces it down. "But I care, Aimes. Maybe not how you want me to but you're my friend, the mother of my daughter and hell'll freeze before I just cut you from my life. Unless… that's you want that, then I'll respect it, just… know I care, and I'm sorry."

He stands, delicate teary eyes following his every move, Sonic pausing to plant a lingering kiss on her forehead, a wave of guilt sinking into and weighing down his shoes when the fuschia's breath catches on contact. The last thing he wants is for her to believe there's hope, but his assertions are true; he does care for her and the kit in her womb, and would do anything to see them happy.

A sad smile touches his muzzle as he pulls away, tears of his own gathering unannounced as she mirrors the smile back, understanding softening the tension even as Mina huffs and sits heavily in the seat he just vacated. "Take care, okay? And if you need anything, call me. Anytime.

"I'll always come running for you, Amy Rose."


End file.
